Waving the Philippine banner, Alex Eala amazed spectators at the Laureus Sports Awards in Madrid, often dubbed as the ‘Oscars for Sports’, while sporting the cream-colored filipiniana made by her renowned fashion designer uncle Rhett Eala on April 20.
April’s Laureus Sports Awards is hosted by 24-time Grand Slam champion Serbian Novak Djokovic and Chinese Olympic Gold Medalist Eileen Gu, both of whom took a selfie with her, in an image which observers described as being ‘surrounded by legends’.
Eala is the first Filipino tennis player to break into the top 30 and win a junior Grand Slam title, leveraging her strong left forehand and aggressive style of play, which contributed to her 62.2% win rate.
In addition, she has helped popularize tennis in a country dominated by basketball and boxing, inspiring Filipinos nationwide to take up the sport while gaining international recognition.
Eala and Sabalenka will play in the Madrid Open, which marks the start of the Filipina’s long stretch in the following WTA 1000 Rome Open and WTA 125 in Parma, which were both held in Italy.
She will also participate in the French Open from May 24 to July 7 at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris.
Written by Alexandrei Tuzon, Insight PH
Alexandrei Tuzon, Insight PH is a dedicated campus journalist and contributor. Their insightful writing sparks meaningful conversations and keeps the community informed.
